Dodder genome sequencing sheds light on evolution of plant parasitism
(PHYSorg.com Biology)

Most plants absorb sunlight and CO2 with their leaves, take up water and minerals from the soil through roots, and are fully autotrophic. However, parasitic plants are a special class of plants that extract water and nutrients from other plants. The origin and evolution of plant parasitism as well as the specific physiology and ecology of parasitic plants are very interesting topics and much remains to be studied.